Yes, Vespula rufa. Can you send me exact location including coordinates, biotope, and date of making the picture? I will forward it to a lady from Budapest museum who is finishing on catalogue of Hungarian social wasps. This is relatively good record. Libor

Libor wrote:Yes, Vespula rufa. Can you send me exact location including coordinates, biotope, and date of making the picture? I will forward it to a lady from Budapest museum who is finishing on catalogue of Hungarian social wasps. This is relatively good record. Libor

Hi, really glad to contribute

It was found near Miskolc, NE Hungary, in the area 'Csanyik' of Bükk mountains, at the border of a birch forest and a meadow (exactly: 50 meters away from the injection factory there). Only one specimen. 10th of August, 2008, 18:00.Coordinates:48° 7′ 7,60’’ North, 20° 39′ 0,60’’ East

pwalter wrote:Hi, this one was found at the edge of a forest, NE Hungary, in August. Never seen such a wasp. Maybe Vespula rufa? Can someone help?

This is a nice find. I think that this variety of rufa is an undescribed species or subspecies with the markings of the head, thorax and The first gastral tergite being Ivory white. All subsequent tergites very yellow in color. This color pattern is prevelant in queens, workers, and males. Archer (1997a) Noted this variation in workers specimens he examined from Sweeden from the Natural History Museum (London) and Lieden (See P.108 in Archer (1997a): http://academia.edu/1463411/Archer_1997 ... _Vespidae_ This undescribed subspecies can be found in Russia, Sweeden, and Finland but it most likely has a much wider distribution than that. Here are some other photos of this variety: